Former Lander Lady Tiger standout Whitney Hansen will continue her collegiate soccer career at Black Hills State this fall.
Hansen played the last two seasons at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne and was one of the team captains last season. She started in 34 of the 39 games she played in as a midfielder and tallied a pair of goals.
Midfielders don’t score often but the pair of goals Hansen scored were game winners in close contests against Lamar Junior College and Northwest College. She also had five career assists.
Hansen joins teammates Caroline Kuhn and Abby Williams in transferring to four-year schools. Kuhn will play at the University of North Dakota and Williams at Pittsburgh State in Kansas next fall.
“For them all to have aspirations of continuing to play and finding schools at levels that they could succeed,” Head Women’s Soccer Coach Lugo Arenas said. “It was a special group for me to inherit and it’s exciting stuff to see them represent our program.”
Hansen is familiar with Spearfish and the Black Hills State campus, “Throughout high school for volleyball and basketball camps I went to the facilities there and the campus and I fell in love with it,” Hansen said, “Not only is the team super close, but the coach reflects that and insists that happens so that was a huge factor for me.”
“I learned how to be stronger mentally, not only as a teammate, but personally, and being able to work with Lugo and accomplish just as much if not more than we did last year, that was huge and was something that will always be top tier and awesome,” Hansen said.
The Golden Eagles were the NJCAA Region IX Champions in 2022 and 2023. The won NJCAA High Plains District Championship both years as well and played in the NJCAA National Championships in 2022 and 2023 with LCCC.
Hansen plans to study Exercise Physiology and become a Physician Assistant.
At Lander Valley Hansen was all-conference, and all-state her junior and senior years. The Lady Tigers won the 2021 Class 3-A state championship and were runner-up in 2022.